


Dusk/Dawn

by Raindropsonwhiskers



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Midnight au, Pointless fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:40:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23044168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raindropsonwhiskers/pseuds/Raindropsonwhiskers
Summary: An AU where Midnight happens with 13, and the Master ends up comforting her afterwards(much to the Fam's collective bafflement). Utterly self-indulgent fluff.
Relationships: The Doctor/The Master (Doctor Who), Thirteenth Doctor & The Master (Dhawan), Thirteenth Doctor/The Master (Dhawan)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 252





	Dusk/Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> Precisely what it says on the tin.

The Master is in the middle of TARDIS repairs when he feels a sharp, panicked prodding at his mind. He'd know the Doctor's psychic signal anywhere, and this seems weirdly urgent, so he lets her in. All he gets is one word. _Help_. Then she cuts off suddenly, and he barely slams his shields back into place in time to stop the strange, mirror-bright presence he feels from getting in.

  
By the time he tracks her down and lands - she's on Midnight, a resort planet he's never bothered to visit - he can tell he's missed whatever happened. The first thing he sees when he steps out of his TARDIS is the Doctor, surrounded by her little gaggle of humans, all trying to comfort her. They're failing, miserably, and only making things worse. He can feel her distress leaking from her mind like blood from an open wound.

  
"Move!" he snaps, shoving the humans aside.

  
"Oi, what're you -" the young man, he never bothered to remember names, starts.

  
"He's fine," the Doctor whispers. "I asked him to come."

  
"Doc, you were just possessed! Are you sure you want _him_ here?" the old one asks.

  
She looks up, and her eyes are dim and blank. "Yes. Just, leave us alone for a bit, please. I promise it'll be fine. He won't hurt me."

  
The humans look more than a little confused and distrustful, but they leave. The Master doesn't even wait for them to get out of the room before he's beside her, gently pressing his forehead to hers. She shudders and wraps her arms around him.

  
"What happened?" he asks; she'd never be this upset about something trivial, and she'd certainly never call him over it.

She doesn't answer, just squeezes him tighter.

"Is it okay if I look?"

  
Her eyes go wide in panic and she leans back, shaking her head frantically. Definitely not, then.

  
"Okay, I won't. Do you want to..." he pauses, trying to think of somewhere she'd feel comfortable. "Your TARDIS, how about we go there?"

  
A slow, hesitant nod. He lets her lead the way, and doesn't miss the way she stays close to him the whole time. She shows him to one of the libraries, one with a couch she immediately sinks onto.

  
He sits beside her and moves her hair out of her face. She looks an absolute mess, and underneath the urge to comfort her there's a deep, burning anger at whoever, _what_ ever, did this to her. But that's not to be acted on, not yet. Right now she needs him to hold her and tell her it'll be okay, and that's precisely what he does.

  
Eventually, she falls asleep, leaned against his chest, her heartbeats finally slowing and her breath evening out. Her mind relaxes, and despite his curiosity, he doesn't pry. The human mentioned being possessed, and even without looking into her head, he can tell that's at least somewhat accurate. Whatever was in her mind had wreaked havoc while it was there, and it's a miracle she even made it out. The rage returns, bright and burning. Her mind has always been what set her apart, and it had nearly been destroyed.

  
She whimpers in her sleep and clutches at his jacket, and he realizes he's been projecting enough she's picked up on it. No surprise, really, with how close they are right now. He pushes the thoughts of revenge and destruction to the back of his mind and runs a soothing hand through her hair. Obliterating the planet can wait.

  
Several hours later, she finally wakes up. She looks up at him, bleary-eyed.

  
"Did you stay here the whole time?" she asks.

"Maybe."

  
She smiles, and his hearts melt just a little. "Thank you, Koschei."

  
"Of course, Theta," he whispers, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

  
She sits up. "You should probably go. My companions are going to get worried."

  
A part of him, a larger part than he'd ever admit, doesn't want to. But he nods and moves to stand anyways. She'll be fine, she always is.

A couple days later, after they've left Midnight, the Doctor finds an intergalactic newsfeed set to loop on the TARDIS datascreen. It's dated 3 weeks after the Midnight Incident(as she's been referring to it), and the headline reads, "POPULAR TOURIST PLANET MIDNIGHT DESTROYED IN INEXPLICABLE ATTACK. OWNERS SUSPECT RADICAL PROTESTERS AT FAULT."

  
She can't help the fond smile that crosses her face.


End file.
